MNE’s sustainability strategies in emerging and developing markets

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Myropi Garri
Keyword(s):  
Multinational Enterprises ◽  
Strategic Behavior ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Developing Markets ◽  
Sustainability Strategies ◽  
Multiple Case

Purpose Nowadays, companies abandon their traditional rent-gaining strategies. They pursue triple bottom-line results by implementing economic, environmental and social sustainability strategies. This paper aims to link the main sustainability strategies of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in emerging and developing markets (EDMs) to the strategic, industrial, market and institutional antecedents of sustainability development. Design/methodology/approach Positivism and a deductive research approach are used to test propositions through a multiple case study strategy, to identify the sustainability strategies of five MNEs belonging in five different industries, and the antecedents of these strategies. Findings Strategic leadership and strategic behavior/orientation are among the most important antecedents of sustainability strategies development in EDMs. The sustainability strategies are partially industry specific. However, all companies had undertaken activities that go beyond the mitigation of their negative impact, acting as regulators of the EDMs. Originality/value Previous literature has explained sustainability as an attempt of the MNEs to cover institutional voids and the absence/failings of the state. This paper contributes to the exploration of sustainability strategies of MNEs in EDMs, by identifying the strategic and market influences driving sustainability and by linking this strategic behavior to industrial and institutional idiosyncrasies.

Luxury fashion and sustainability: looking good together

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 55-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Campos Franco ◽  
Dildar Hussain ◽  
Rod McColl
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Examples ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Social Environmental ◽  
Sustainability Challenges ◽  
Industry Sectors

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight critical sustainability challenges facing luxury fashion firms and to describe examples of best practice in responding to these challenges. Design/methodology/approach The research approach combines a detailed literature review with multiple-case examples. The paper adopts the triple bottom line framework for structuring the analysis and findings, which suggests reporting sustainability efforts in three categories of actions – social, environmental and economic. Findings Prior research suggests that luxury fashion marketing and principles of sustainability may represent contradictory philosophies. However, this paper of case examples suggests that this may no longer be the case. We identify six lessons in guiding future sustainability practices. Practical implications The findings have implications for managers operating in luxury fashion, but the findings are also pertinent to managers in other industries. Originality/value Prior research in luxury fashion has generally focused on the industry’s poor record in sustainability and how luxury and sustainability may be incompatible. In this paper, we conclude that most luxury fashion firms are aware of the need to integrate sustainability into their business models. By uncovering examples of best practice in sustainability, we demonstrate how luxury fashion firms have responded to these challenges with lessons for other industry sectors.

scholarly journals What companies can learn from unicorn startups to overcome the COVID-19 crisis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Doritta Rodrigues ◽  
Matheus Eurico Soares de Noronha
Keyword(s):  
Business Models ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Analysis Technique ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Medium Businesses ◽  
Medium Enterprises

Purpose This paper aims to search measures that unicorn startups have implemented during the pandemic and show what lessons can be learned to help entrepreneurs and small and medium businesses to overcome the crisis. Design/methodology/approach The method is a multiple case study with five unicorn startups. This study collected data through interviews and analyzed them by the content analysis technique. Findings The findings show that the pandemic affects negatively unicorns’ businesses; that a digital business model innovation affects them positively; and that innovations moderate positively the negative impact of the crisis. Research limitations/implications Most interviewees hold operational positions. Practical implications Three actions stand out to overcome the crisis: adoption of new digital platforms; strategies to increase the network of partners; and adaptations in the provision of payment services. Originality/value The cases show that entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises need to develop capabilities to innovate in their business models, and digitalization is a solution to face the crisis and overcome it in the future.

“Pollution prevention” is the key to drive sustainability

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 416-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandeep Kumar Gupta ◽  
Sanjeev Gupta ◽  
S. Gayathiri
Keyword(s):  
Control Strategies ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Pollution Prevention ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Leather Industry ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Total Dissolved Solid

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the difference in firm performance between pollution prevention and pollution control strategies using a selected case study from the Indian leather industry. Design/methodology/approach This study followed a case study-based inductive research approach to validate the proposed preposition on field. The case-study analysis was based on qualitative and quantitative data. The authors developed a questionnaire and an interview protocol to capture the data about different industrial practices and motivation behind them. The study followed the concept of the triple bottom line approach for assessing the progress of the case firm on sustainability scale. Findings With the help of pollution preventive measures, such as replacement of salted skin with fresh skin and chromium salt with a phosphonium-based tanning agent, the case firm could overcome the biggest challenge of bringing down the level of total dissolved solid from 40,000 to 5,000 ppm in the raw effluent. Moreover, the firm has successfully recycled and converted tannery scraps and other waste into organic manure for internal use in its own plantations. Research limitations/implications The findings of this study could not be generalized as these are based on a single case study. Originality/value This study presents an example of sustainable practices and their benefits to the Indian leather industry to follow.

scholarly journals Procurement sustainability tensions: an integrative perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 586-609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sajad Fayezi ◽  
Maryam Zomorrodi ◽  
Lydia Bals
Keyword(s):  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Multi Level ◽  
Temporal And Spatial ◽  
Multi Stakeholder ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to unpack tensions faced by procurement professionals as part of their triple bottom line (TBL) sustainability activities. The authors take an integrative perspective based on the procurement sustainability and organizational tensions literature, as well as stakeholder and institutional theory. Design/methodology/approach The authors use a multiple case study approach. Data are collected through multiple interviews and archival data from eight case companies in Australia. Findings The authors identify supply chain and company procurement sustainability tensions (PSTs) and explain their multi-level nature. The analysis also dissects the multi-stakeholder and multi-institutional environments where PSTs operate. The authors discuss such environments in terms of various temporal and spatial legitimacy contexts (LCs) that, through their assessment of institutional distance, can characterize the manifestation of PSTs. Practical implications The findings are instrumental for managers to make informed decisions when dealing with PSTs, and they pave the way for paradoxical leadership given the increasing importance of simultaneous development and balancing of TBL dimensions, as evidenced in this study. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to empirically investigate PSTs by drawing on an integrative approach to identify PSTs, and to discern various LCs that underpin stakeholder judgments of procurement’s TBL sustainability activities.

Interpretative narrative process research approach to corporate renaming

2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mari Juntunen
Keyword(s):  
Small Firms ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Process Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Narrative Process ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Corporate Rebranding

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe company renaming as a process among small firms, including the events and actors in and the reasons for company renaming. Design/methodology/approach – The study presents an interpretative narrative process research approach. The empirical part is conducted as an instrumental multiple case study of six cases. Findings – Company renaming is a long-lasting, complex, iterative and management-centric process among small firms. The process consists of six main events that are conducted more or less simultaneously but which need to be further divided into sub-events in order to reveal their order. The reasons for renaming are that the current company name is difficult to use or it is less known than the name of the company's well-known product among stakeholders. Research limitations/implications – The existing research on branding from the viewpoint of organisational change has been scarce. The study suggests that also other reasons than change in the organisation or in its environment may cause corporate rebranding. The empirical data from a specific contest, the B2B software industry, may limit the statistical generalizability of the results. Practical implications – For small business managers, the study suggests actively involving stakeholders to the process. The new name can be developed cheaply, but the process can be long. For ensuring a shorter process, costs need to be accepted. Originality/value – The use of interpretative narrative process research approach and an instrumental multiple case study provide methodological contributions to the field of corporate rebranding.

Environmental training and developing individual environmental sustainability competences in Brazilian chemical sector companies

2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Antonio Batista da Silva ◽  
Priscila Rezende da Costa ◽  
Claudia Terezinha Kniess
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Environmental Dimension ◽  
Strategic Goals ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Chemical Companies

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse how the systematisation of environmental training can contribute to the development of individual competences aligned to the environmental dimension of sustainability. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research approach was used in a multiple case study with three chemical companies: Braskem, Solvay and Beta (fictitious name). Findings Data analysis allowed descriptive characterisation of the phases of environmental training and the identification of individual competencies aligned to the environmental dimension of sustainability in the companies surveyed. The results showed that the systematised environmental training, its phases structured to meet the organisational strategic goals of sustainability, helps to develop individual competences of environmental sustainability in the companies analysed. Research limitations/implications The contribution of the study to the academy is presented in the deepening of the studies taking into account the gaps presented in the theoretical bases on the subject environmental education. This is the first study that seeks to investigate the stages of environmental training in the development of individual competences in the context of three Brazilian chemical industries. It was possible to describe the process of environmental training in a strategic dimension, used by the companies studied that can contribute to the market, assisting professionals in the areas of human resources and environmental management in the development of training actions. Originality/value The value of the paper is given by the reflection on the development of individual competencies for sustainability through environmental training, which can guide future public policies of environmental development for companies in the chemical sector.

ISO 14001 in a corporate sustainability context: a multiple case study approach

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 872-890 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matjaž Maletic ◽  
Manja Podpečan ◽  
Damjan Maletic
Keyword(s):  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Iso 14001 ◽  
Case Study Approach ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Multiple Case

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mechanisms through which ISO 14001 can contribute to the corporate sustainability. In this regard, the paper examines the underlying theoretical concepts and discusses the ISO 14001 in the context of the corporate sustainability. Additionally, the paper discusses the benefits of ISO 14001 from the perspective of the triple bottom line. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a multiple case study approach focusing on four ISO 14001-certified Slovenian organizations and two non-ISO 14001-certified organizations. The data collection methods included semi-structured questionnaire and interviews with managers in all studied organizations. Findings – It is suggested that the motives could be perceived as explanatory variables of the benefits realized from ISO 14001 certification. Further, the findings of this study indicate that environmental management system should be seen in a wider perspective that includes elements such as quality and social responsibility. Moreover, the results also lead us to the suggestion that there could be a reciprocal causal mechanism linking the environmental performance and economic performance. Practical implications – ISO 14001 can be an effective tool for pursuing sustainable development; however, organizations should move a step beyond ISO 14001’s environmental focus and recognize a multidimensional perspective by simultaneously addressing environmental, quality and social responsibility issues. Originality/value – The paper contributes to the corporate sustainability literature by investigating the mechanisms through which organizations can shift to more sustainable patterns using the ISO 14001.

scholarly journals Analysing competing logics towards sustainable supplier management

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Verónica León Bravo ◽  
Mariuxy Jaramillo Villacrés ◽  
Minelle E. Silva
Keyword(s):  
Market Access ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Supplier Management ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
Cultural Issues ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multiple Case

Purpose To understand the context surrounding the sustainable supplier management (SSM) process (i.e. selection, development and evaluation), this paper aims to explore institutional logics existing in the Ecuadorian cocoa supply chain (SC). By considering local characteristics and sustainability practices, this study illustrates how competing logic influences SSM. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a multiple-case study method for which the authors interviewed different cocoa SC members in Ecuador and used a ground-up approach to analyse the data and reveal singularities influencing sustainability management. Findings The analysis uncovered two main logics operating within the Ecuadorian cocoa SC SSM process: a commercial logic (e.g. potential for market access, product traceability) and a sustainability logic (e.g. local development and traditions/cultural issues). These logics address market demand requirements; however, some local producers’ needs that impact SSM remains unexplored such as the existence of a regional ancestral culture that poses sustainability as a dominant logic with meaning beyond the triple bottom line. While the two logics have influenced supplier sustainability performance, this paper finds that, of the three SSM sub-processes (selection, development and evaluation), supplier development was the most relevant sub-process receiving attention from SC managers in the studied context. Practical implications By understanding the differences in logic and needs, SC managers can better develop strategies for SSM. Originality/value The study highlighted in this paper investigated the underexplored topic of the effects that competing logic may have on SSM. This paper focusses on the supplier’s point of view regarding sustainability requirements, addressing a consistent research gap in the literature.

Modernisation of Higher Education – Willful Action or Wishful Thinking? The Case of Bulgaria

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 3-17
Author(s):  
Elena Blagoeva
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
National Level ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

The impact of the last global economic crisis (2008) on the European economy put a strain on higher education (HE), yet it also pushed the sector towards intensive reforms and improvements. This paper focuses on the “Strategy for the Development of Higher Education in the Republic of Bulgaria 2014-2020”. With a case study methodology, we explore the strategic endeavours of the Bulgarian government to comply with the European directions and to secure sustainable growth for the HE sector. Our research question is ‘How capable is the Bulgarian HE Strategy to overcome the economic and systemic restraints of Bulgarian higher education?’. Because the development of strategies for HE within the EU is highly contextual, a single qualitative case study was chosen as the research approach. HE institutions are not ivory towers, but subjects to a variety of external and internal forces. Within the EU, this is obviated by the fact that Universities obtain their funds from institutions such as governments, students and their families, donors, as well as EU-level programmes. Therefore, to explore how these pressures interact to affect strategic action on national level, the case method is well suited as it enabled us to study the phenomena thoroughly and deeply. The paper suggests the actions proposed within the Strategy have the potential to overcome the delay, the regional isolation and the negative impact of the economic crisis on the country. Nevertheless, the key elements on which the success or failure of this Strategy hinges are the control mechanisms and the approach to implementation. Shortcomings in these two aspects of strategic actions in HE seem to mark the difference between gaining long-term benefits and merely saving face in front of international institutions.

Corporate acceleration process: a systems psychodynamics perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 1163-1180
Author(s):  
Piotr Wójcik ◽  
Krzysztof Obłój ◽  
Aleksandra Wąsowska ◽  
Szymon Wierciński
Keyword(s):  
Open Innovation ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Acceleration Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Third Phase ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Social Defenses ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the emotional dynamics of the corporate acceleration process, using the systems psychodynamics perspective.Design/methodology/approachThe study applies inductive multiple case study of embedded 10 cases of corporate acceleration, covering both incumbent and startup perspectives, occurring in the context of a corporate accelerator.FindingsWe find that (1) the process of corporate acceleration involves three phases, each of them is dominated by a different emotional state (hope, anxiety and acceptance), triggering different behavioral responses; (2) as a means to deal with negative emotions, entrepreneurs and corporate acceleration program's team members develop different mechanisms of dealing with contradictories in subsequent acceleration phases (defense and copying mechanisms), which are reflected in their behaviors. Coping mechanisms with goal reformulation (i.e. refocus from the officially declared “open innovation” goals toward mainly symbolic ones) is an effective strategy to manage negative emotions in third phase of the acceleration.Research limitations/implicationsOur sample is limited to two relatively similar accelerators established by telecom companies, and therefore, our theoretical and practical conclusions cannot be generalized.Practical implicationsWe supplement the studies of corporate accelerators that imply how to design them better and improve decision-making rules with recommendation that in order to improve their effectiveness in terms of learning and innovations, their managers need not only to learn how to manage structural and procedural differences but also how to overcome social defenses triggered by corporate–startups cooperation.Originality/valueBy documenting a multidimensional impact of acceleration process, and especially shedding light on psychodynamic aspects behind such liaisons, this paper contributes to richer understanding of corporate–startup relationships, typically examined through a rationalistic lens of strategy literature. The study contributes to interorganizational research and open innovation literature, by showing that corporate acceleration process is marked by phases based on the type of emotions intertwined with the nature and dynamism of its life cycle. It indicates how these emotions are managed depending on their type.

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